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Gut Reactions: Week 14

As active and as good as Brad Jones looked last week, he just disappeared today.

Nick Barnett was quietly excellent.

Dom Capers dialed up the same corner blitz that got Cutler in the first game on that Collins INT

Holy blitzing Tramon Williams Batman!

If the reason to keep Mason Crosby is because of his strong leg on kickoffs, why do they keep having him kick it short and directionally? I mean, seriously, you can't tell me there aren't guys on the street that can miss 40+ yard FGs that could pooch kickoffs just as well...

Much props to Ryan Grant - he ran like a beast and was hitting the cutback well.

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Comments (54)
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Do you think that the Colts will release Stover once Vinatieri's healthy? Since V is still on the roster, I assume he's coming back at some point. We could sign Stover for FGs and keep Crosby for kickoffs. That we kept AK on the roster for weeks suggests we can spare a roster spot.

I said this on the blog, and I'll say it here- the Bears started out playing so badly that the whole Packer team began to just go through the motions. They lost focus. And as a reult, they only put 13 on the board when it should have been 21, or at least 17. Once the Bears woke up, however, the unfocused Packers were getting their asses kicked. It took Nick Collins' pick and runback to get everyone's attention again.

Oh yeah, and Mason Crosby has earned a ticket on the Greyhound back to Boulder.

Six weeks ago, the Drums of Death were beating for McCarthy's head. Now, they are silent.

So the Drums are now beating for Crosby. Never mind that any replacement may be inferior, or may impact team chemistry (this late in the season). We know Crosby can do it. But we don't even know that with any replacement.

How bout Mr Grant, haters? Gotta stay consistent fellas.
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I'll say the same thing I've been saying the whole time. Is he an elite RB? Hell no. Is he a solid player that makes plays when you need them? Hell yes. He won the game for us on offense, plain and simple.
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I will say that 65 yard TD run was completely unexpected but brought back 07 memories.

Nick - at least know the argument. Jersey Al (and myself) said Grant does a great job hitting holes when they are blocked well. He did that today. He sure didn't create anything on his own.
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On another note, why is it when you point out what someone doesn't do well, you're automatically a 'hater'? I don't hate Ryan Grant, anymore than I hate Aaron Kampman. Sue me if I don't have Green and Gold glasses permanently affixed to my face or my lips affixed to every players ass.

And that's why he's not elite. But that's like saying why doesn't Jordy Nelson catch every ball when he's double teamed? It's a pointless argument except for stating the obvious. He isn't one of those backs that can make a play out of nothing. Leave that to the elite players on our team, and noone would debate that he is not one of the elite. But when you give him his opportunity he takes full advantage most of the time. That's what you call a good player, and Grant is one of those.

And I never mentioned you or Jersey Al. It was in response to a lot of the comments in that post.

I'll be consistent (not that you and Corey aren't, Aaron) - MM panicked and onlly by the good graces of Capers did we get the momentum rolling our way. I still don't like MM. I also don't want Crosby, though I like him. I think it was Oppy that said he'll be great someday but at this point he needs to be cut. He has seriously, seriously underperformed.

Aaron, my point was that we shouldn't discard anyone, including Mason Crosby, without being sufficiently confidant that his replacement would really be an improvement.

As we saw in the punter debacle a couple years ago, simply ridding a problem can create worse problems. We have to take a long term and balanced view.

I believe Crosby has the potential to make every field goal attempt for the balance of the season based on his past experience with the Packers. I do not possess that confidence with any free agent kicker.

The Bears D-Line were doing there job, but Grant breaks one and McCarthy and Capers put there feet up and relax the rest of the game. Not good play calling today. On the important downs they stuck with the run and abandoned the quick slant way to many times. They played the Hot Chick. Went in all excited, hit it big early and went limp the rest of the game.

Let me be clear that I don't think Crosby should be cut tomorrow morning.
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I do feel that there should be a steady line of street kickers brought in starting Wednesday morning. Crosby needs to be put on notice, and the Packers need to see what is available now so they can make the most informed decision when the season comes to an end.
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If the Packers actually bring in a kicker who thoroughly impresses before the end of the season, maybe they should sign him and keep two kickers for the time being. Hell, if we're ahead in a game, maybe even let the new guy kick a few.
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Crosby's performance has warranted his firing. I don't think it's wise to do it late in the season as we're heading into (probable) playoffs, but then.. If he continues to miss, he's a liability. Perhaps a serious fire under his ass will get him swinging his leg true. If it doesn't, goodbye Mason Crosby, and good luck in the future. I'm sure it will be bright, but unfortunately, he hasn't earned a future in Green Bay.

Keep in mind, the Packers would have been a .500 team last year but for two Crosby missed FGs. I certainly don't know that "Crosby can do it." In fact when he lined up to kick today I was about 95% certain that he would miss.

I'll take the win, but these consistent "brain fog" periods the Packers go through Q2 - Q3 are going to get them tossed early in the playoffs. We need to get much better at stepping on the opponents' throats when we have the opportunity. Agin tho, will take the win. Would have never thought 5 straight was possible when we were 4-4

Driver is right on the money. There is no
way we can go into the playoffs, againist
quality teams with ANY doubt regarding Crosby. The scoring will be just too close.
Watching the Queens with Longwell just struting out to make the sure kick turns my
stomach. We've still got some issues, but
all of us need to be positive. It just may
help.PACKATTACK!!!!!!!!!!

Crosby has exactly one saving grace: his misses have not YET cost us a game.
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For all those screaming for more run plays, today was a day where we ran more times than we passed. How do you all feel about that? I think we needed to pass more.

"I’ll take the win, but these consistent “brain fog” periods the Packers go through Q2 – Q3 are going to get them tossed early in the playoffs. We need to get much better at stepping on the opponents’ throats when we have the opportunity. Agin tho, will take the win. Would have never thought 5 straight was possible when we were 4-4"

Just because you have two kickers on the 53 roster doesn't mean you can make both active for games. Would I rather have an extra kicker or true kick returner then Biren Ealy on the 53? Yes. But, if you make two K's active on gameday that means you are probably taking off a special teamer off the 45 man game day roster. That means Obiozor or Bell are not playing on ST's. Just something to consider for those who want to carry two kickers on the roster.

thank you for explaining to Nick what my deal is with Grant. You seem to be one of the very few that actually understood exactly what I was saying. The majority of responses I have received (maybe 95%) were either "Yeah I agree, Ryan Grant sucks" or "how can you say Ryan Grant sucks." Completely missing the point. All Grant did today was reinforce what I had written.

guyssss....we won...5 in a row, surely theres alot to fix, and each week before that stament could clearly be made (ST, rodgers, secondary, run game, etc...) but ur all missing the big point...WE WON!!! (and yeah screw crosby!)

Hey, Piedmont,
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I'll still drum for McCarthy. I'm not being loud about it right now because I seriously don't want to bring everyone down after what we've seen--IMPROVEMENT and VICTORY. This is time to celebrate, not gnash our teeth.
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That said, I still am underwhelmed by Mr. Offensive-Genius-Yet-Somehow-The-Defense-Is-Now-Our-Signature. Since Tauscher's return, the line is better. Not good. Not great. But better (AND I'M GRATEFUL). Of course, if Tauscher gets injured, we're back to low grade performance. And, sadly, Tauscher is no spring chicken.
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Our team needs a leader. Nick Collins was more inspiring today that McCarthy will ever be. And McCarthy can't build an O-Line. Is this a suitable head coach for the Green Bay Packers? Decide for yourselves. I've made up my mind and I'll shut up now.
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Except to say THE BEARS STILL SUCK! And the Pack won, and I'm happy.

The Saints pulled out their second 3-point victory in two weeks...... This time against a team w/out their starting QB or RB.......... Somehow I'm believing that Saint fans are satisfied ....... More than I can say for fans of a team that just won their 5th in a row......
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PiedmontPackerFan
You couldn't be more correct..... Many posters here are great at firing but when it comes to hiring, that's a little different .......... Happens when you have nothing to lose as a fan........ Like you stated, 'fantasy football' at it's best....... LOL.

Heh... i don't see how Crosby was an improvement over Raynor -- or Longwell for that matter. He has always been subpar, and this year he's a little more subpar.
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The guy does not make the tough kicks. There's probably someone on the team now who can put the chip shots in and miss the 40+ yarders. Replacements for guys like Crosby are not too hard to find.

Grant was awesome, but Rodgers has been slightly below average for the second week. The defense also had a slight implosion at the end. Just an abbreviated version of my thougts. For more, follow the link above.

"I’ll still drum for McCarthy. I’m not being loud about it right now because I seriously don’t want to bring everyone down after what we’ve seen–IMPROVEMENT and VICTORY. This is time to celebrate, not gnash our teeth."

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HW, I have not seen enough improvement or expect a sustained playoff birth beyond the wildcard when poised against a quality team if we continue to have the 2nd half brain fogs.
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I was impressed with the tackling today. (For that matter, all year). You don't see many of the guys missing tackles or trying to blow a guy up without wrapping up and letting the guy stay up. Now, admittedly, I have a 2 year old and a 2 month old, so the game doesn't get my full attention on every play, but from what I've seen we have been solid. Just another plus to having a competent group of defensive coaches.

Capers did today what Bob Sanders failed to do all season last year. He used smoke and mirrors to hide a lack of depth due to injury on the Dline.
And he did it magnificently.
Another patented MM "lull." This time it stretched from the 2nd quarter to the 3rd. I can only hope we amp it up in the playoffs.
And I agree, I'm sick of Crosby's misses.
Rodgers did seem to be a bit off today, but I'm not worried. It was a short week.
Jennings continues to drop a few. He had that TD, btw.
Glad to see Clay get up after that facemask. "I think I broke his freaking neck."
Finley had a fumble, but I'm not worried at all about him. He'll go out and make up for it every time.

" HW, I have not seen enough improvement or expect a sustained playoff birth beyond the wildcard when poised against a quality team if we continue to have the 2nd half brain fogs. "
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LOL ............ I like this ......... The 'Negative Nancies' are being forced to up the ante.......... A few weeks ago it was all about firing anybody &amp; everybody &amp; starting over........ Now, GB won't survive the wildcard round......... What next ?

" I don't see enough overall improvement to even consider a win in the NFC Championship round " ...........
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Do I sense a little bit of squirming for those who have preached the end of the TT/MM era ? ........... Guess what ......... TT &amp; MM aren't leaving GB anytime soon....... LOL.

Mason Crosby cannot be counted on in a pressure situation. When a game must be won by a last second kick, I do not want to see Mason Crosby take the field. He was rated 27th in accuracy coming into the game this week. He will fall further in this weeks' ranking. Not good enough.

I will stand by my comments:
”HW, I have not seen enough improvement or expect a sustained playoff birth beyond the wildcard when poised against a quality team IF we continue to have the 2nd half brain fogs. ”
Everyone is happy for the win but the last 2 games have not satisfied most that we are over the hump...
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You also seemed to neglect the "IF" in your commentary on my statement. But anycase, in a few weeks we will know the answer beyond opinion - stay tuned - we can check on attitudes about MM/TT then... remember, it's a wildcard not a Division Title we are talking about. That appears to be going to a former Packer... maybe that meets your standard of success. Not mine.
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MM/TT aren't going anywhere no matter what happens in the playoffs ...... I realize that this is a disappointment to you but you may as well get used to it.... Only 4 teams in the entire NFL have a better record than GB at this point ...... 5 game win streak, top-rated defense, 9-4 record &amp; you continue to bitch....... Sad.
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But you are correct in one sense........... Ryan Longwell (Former Packer) is the kicker for the Vikes...... (That's who you meant, right?)

Woody,
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I am, for the record, officially thrilled that we have a real shot at the playoffs. May we win the NFC Conference Championship! Hell, may we win the Super Bowl. I would rather be totally wrong and publicly recant every nasty word I've uttered and get to see the Packers shine than be right.
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I believe that the foundation of a victorious football team is the offensive line. I believe we have a superior quarterback and a solid gifted receiving corps. With a solid line, we could walk over every team in this league. I think Jersey Al is right. If the line can open holes, Grant can run through them. We don't need more than that. All I want for Christmas is a working, consistent O-Line. I'll even keep Crosby if we have that O-Line. With a good O-Line, all we need the kicker for is the extra point and the kickoff.
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I want to see a Packers offense that shines the way it used to, the way it was meant to. I don't have much beef with Thompson. I haven't made any snarky comments about him. I like a lot of his personnel decisions. I don't like McCarthy much, it's true. But if we are solid performers in the playoffs with a weak offensive line, I'll shut up. Maybe smashmouth football doesn't mean anything anymore. Maybe football has moved on to bolder strategies I don't understand. But I have to see it to believe it.

"I am, for the record, officially thrilled that we have a real shot at the playoffs. May we win the NFC Conference Championship! Hell, may we win the Super Bowl. I would rather be totally wrong and publicly recant every nasty word I’ve uttered and get to see the Packers shine than be right."

That's fine and all if you're a financial analyst or something, but as a fan I just dont get this line of thinking. Every season must be a failure for you then because the odds are astronomical that you don't win the Super Bowl. At what point can you enjoy the season when you think this way without having an undefeated team that wins the Super Bowl? It's good to want your team to do more, and there's certainly ways that this team can do better, but as a FAN, it seems almost philosophically wrong to not be happy after a win. And this team hasn't just won, it's in prime playoff position and probably could make it even if they don't win another this season.
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My point is, by the time you even have the chance to potentially "recant all of your nasty words," the season is already over, and you come away disappointed with any result except for a Super Bowl win. I know GBP fans have high expectations based on our history, and thats great, but try not to lose sight of the road getting there ;).

Cuphound
I wasn't responding to anything you posted ........ But if you want to feel guilty that's your choice ........ Truth is you are just playing both sides of the coin........ Packers lose or play poorly &amp; you complain - "See I told you so"......... Packers play well &amp; win &amp; you're thrilled because, of course, you are a solid Packer Fan............. Either way, you can't lose .......... It's the coward's approach to fandom....... Afraid to fully believe in something that just might result in disappointment.

Perhaps there's an irrationality here that I need to look at. I can see the point. We're winning and have a comparatively good record. Why do I want McCarthy's head?
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Play this year has been ugly. A new system is going to start ugly, sure, but this has taken too long. The new defense has already cohered into something to be proud of. But this O-line had two seasons to develop and it really is unimpressive. Either they can't find the men for the zone blocking scheme or they can't coach it. Either way, it's holding back what could be a truly brilliant offense. I'm not sure zone blocking is worth what we're putting into it. If they could just punch a hole in the defense, Grant could <I>run</i> through it. He did it today! We'd have a reliable running game. Rodgers isn't being sacked as much, thank God, but can that last if we have another injury on the O-Line? I have trouble believing this can be a consistent solution.
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But maybe "ugly" is the wave of the future. If it winds up working over the long haul, then I'll shut up about it. Honestly, despite liking what the offense looked like during that time, I have some real ambivalence about the Sherman years. Yeah, we didn't win another Super Bowl. Yes, his GMship slowly sapped the team of its talent. But before 2005, I'll be damned if I didn't love watching the Pack play every single Sunday. Win or lose, they were inspiring to watch.
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I'm still having fun. But most of the fun with this version of the team has been in trying to understand what has happened and how it can be fixed. Maybe I'm wrong, McCarthy's a genius instead of a stubborn fuck, and this porous, sieve-like thing he calls a O-line is the wave of the future. I'll come around. But until we win a championship this way, I'm not going to like the guy. He made my Sunday mornings ugly.
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But we won today. And I am HAPPY. I really, really, really am. And I'll lay off McCarthy till the end of season.

I wish we had Longwell currently (since you brought him up)... how appropriate to remind us of another player who is having a stellar season that was passed over by Mgmnt, LOL LOL (want to have a conversation about Darren Sharper - he's looking pretty good these days also)...LOL
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If you like ugly go for it... I'm not ready to accept it unless it can win playoffs... to say we are in a wildcard because all the other NFL teams stink is no consolation to me either... win the Division, go into the playoffs strong and I will say TT/MM has GB on the right track...thats what I've said all along and stand by it.
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Sheesh, i never knew following the Packers was some kind of moral test.
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What i've discovered with this team is that i don't like it as much as the Shermie teams. I just don't. Even when they win. Maybe it's the penalties or MM's playbook or the players or the overall quality of the league. I know that makes me evil and a pervert and all that, but there it is.

foundinidaho* - Gotta agree.
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The Ryan Grant instant TD at the beginning was due to Daryn Colledge's "one good play all day" syndrome. Remember the '07 Dallas game? That's probably where a few started thinking about 2007. It was exactly the same play (almost) and had the same results. After that, however, (in both cases) Colledge got shoved around all day.
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And, no - Grant still can't see using peripheral vision. Otherwise, he would not have bounced into the pile, only to rejoin it, on at least six plays. Does the guy wear glasses when not on the field?
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McCarthy's first set of plays were dead on. Especially the one where Rodgers just stood up and instantly threw it and bingo we got yardage, without hesitation. da bears defense was completely flabberghasted with that approach to their D schemes.
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However - after that, Lovie Smith &amp; Co started to catch up to our game planning. What did MAC do? He went into Schottenheimer PREVENT mode and hunkered down. This is where I'd rather have a (Bill?) Callahan coming onboard as the new OC and let him call the plays. MAC can just stand there like they do in Baltimore, and Pittsburgh or even here in INDY.
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McCarthy called waaay too many 7-step drops and will probably continue to do so when even with Favre that was NOT the staple. Rodgers excels at the 3-step drops and throw - especially when you give him 4 wideouts and Finley to play with.
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MAC could have certainly used more of the slants, and situation plays. Cutler was throwing it right behind our D line and in front of our Secondary, almost all thru the 2nd half. MAC doesn't seem to have any of those type of plays dialed up. Probably never will.
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Maybe MAC needs a John Madden game to learn with....... I'm just sayin'
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Overall - it's true, MAC did try to lose it with his play calling. Only da bears were more insistent with throwing the game away. It was 14-13 when it should ahve never been. And, it was those 7-step drops that got Rodgers sacked, too.
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Guys, there are times when blaming the QB gets everyone going down the wrong alley. MAC should be allowing his "chosen" QB play to his own strengths. Why won't he?
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Next question: Are the Steelers beatable, since we have Capers in Packerland?

Well, considering all that has been posted so far... We won,not pretty but it is a W!
Grant had a great day - because the holes were there!
Zone blocking SUCKS, why not throw everything to the wind and hope for the best?!
The Pack are still not "SOLID" but, hell, its the NFL and who knows - re: Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh?!
Crosby does stink!!
Ar is still a top notch QB with a great receiving corps!
Right now, it sure beats where we were last season at this point!
Three games ahead of us - one , I believe , is a sure thing but the other two... I won't put nothing against the Steelers, but the Cards...Warner/Fitzgerald vs. Rogers/Jennings - will this be our finest hour?!

Well, considering all that has been posted so far... We won,not pretty but it is a W!
Grant had a great day - because the holes were there!
Zone blocking SUCKS, why not throw everything to the wind and hope for the best?!
The Pack are still not "SOLID" but, hell, its the NFL and who knows - re: Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh?!
Crosby does stink!!
Ar is still a top notch QB with a great receiving corps!
Right now, it sure beats where we were last season at this point!
Three games ahead of us - one , I believe , is a sure thing but the other two... I won't put nothing against the Steelers, but the Cards...Warner/Fitzgerald vs. Rogers/Jennings - will this be our finest hour?!
Oh, yes, BEARS STILL SUCK!!!

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"I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious."